Thou Shalt Not Spam

A lot of non-marketers think of marketers as nothing but spammers.  It’s easy to understand why. We all get mountains of spam emails on a daily basis – regardless of whether or not we gave out the email address.

But unless you want to be prosecuted and condemned for sending spam emails out, you’ll want to take precautions to be careful about who you email and why.  Spam is defined as unsolicited email messages that are sent out to the masses.

True Internet marketers don’t mess with spam because it hurts their credibility, risks their accounts, and doesn’t convert as well as targeted, welcomed email does.  You can have your ISP ban you for sending spam, and you can lose your autoresponder account, too.

It’s far better to use an opt-in form where people willingly enter their first name and email address.  In fact, it’s best to utilize the double opt in option most autoresponders provide.

A single opt in is when you just let the person enter their information once.  But what’s to stop one person from going around entering another person’s contact information for unethical reasons?

You want a double opt in to protect yourself.  Here’s how it works:

The user lands on your website and sees an opt in box, asking for their first name and email address.  They enter it (usually in exchange for a free download or the promise of information at a later date).

Then the autoresponder tool automatically sends out a verification email.  The end user gets the email alerting them that they’ve signed up to be on your list, but it asks them to verify their subscription by clicking on a link in the email.

This means if someone goes to your site and signs someone else up, that person will get a notification and have the option to decline if they weren’t the ones who really opted into the list.

Make sure you abide by permission marketing standards.  These people trust you enough to hand over important details, so don’t sell their contact information or abuse it in any way.  If you respect the people on your list, it will grow and you’ll have a ready made list of prospects that can help you earn more money on both a short and long-term time frame.

Networking With Other Online Marketers

The Internet marketing industry is an isolating career at times. You work from home, usually on solo projects, and except for the occasional forum and chat room participation, you don’t have the opportunity to interact with others.

Some newbie ‘net marketers take it to an extreme level of isolation, never branding their name, watching forum posts from the sidelines, too scared to put themselves out there for judgment in the marketplace.

But networking will help you make big gains as an online marketer.  First and foremost, it helps you brand your name in the marketplace. You’ll always want to participate in the Internet marketing niche, even if it’s not the niche you’re making money with.

The reason for this is because you can find potential Joint Venture partners who are in the same (or a complementary) niche as you. These relationships and bonds you build with other marketers could serve you well in the future.

Within your moneymaking niche, you want to network as well. Always put your sights on someone who’s a step above you on the ladder of success.  This will help you build your own business because you’re catapulting your momentum forward rather than taking a step backward as an unknown.

If at all possible, try to attend Internet marketing seminars and seminars within your niche. You’ll meet people and gain valuable insight that isn’t sold on the ‘net – secrets shared as good friends rather than sold to a general public.

Seminars can help you bounce ideas off of others and generate some new ideas based on what you learn.  It can also help you locate products and services that will help your business.

You might meet graphic designers, freelance writers, or even a so-called “guru” who could give your product or site a mention to his own mega list.  If you attend a seminar, have some business cards ready to hand out to people that include your name, email address, and website.

Get cards from others, too and then follow up on those contacts to remind people of who you are – thanking them if they provided you with any information that helps you on your journey to becoming a successful Internet marketer.

After you attend enough seminars, you may even be asked to be a speaker at one, which is when you’ll be the main focus of the networking party and everyone will be competing for your time and attention.